Platelet factor 4 increases bone marrow B cell development and differentiation

• Published in: Immunologic research 2017-10, Vol.65 (5), p.1089-1094
• Main Authors: Field, David J., Aggrey-Amable, Angela A., Blick, Sara K., Ture, Sara K., Johanson, Andrew, Cameron, Scott J., Roy, Sukanya, Morrell, Craig N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allergology; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - physiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bone marrow; Bone Marrow Cells - physiology; Cell activation; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Cells, Cultured; Differentiation (biology); Hemopoiesis; Immunology; Internal Medicine; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte receptors; Lymphocytes B; Medicine/Public Health; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Original Article; Phosphorylation; Platelet factor 4; Platelet Factor 4 - metabolism; Platelets; Rodents; Stat5 protein; STAT5 Transcription Factor - metabolism
• ISSN: 0257-277X; 1559-0755
• DOI: 10.1007/s12026-017-8951-x

Platelet factor 4 (PF4) is a megakaryocyte-/platelet-derived chemokine with diverse functions as a regulator of vascular and immune biology. PF4 has a central role in vessel injury responses, innate immune cell responses, and T-helper cell differentiation. We have now discovered that PF4 has a direct role in B cell differentiation in the bone marrow. Mice lacking PF4 (PF4 −/− mice) had fewer developing B cells in the bone marrow beginning after the pre-pro-B cell stage of differentiation. In vitro, PF4 increased the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors to B cell lineage cells, indicating that PF4 has a direct effect on B cell differentiation. STAT5 activation is essential in early B cell development and PF4 increased the phosphorylation of STAT5. Taken together, these data demonstrate that PF4 has an important role in increasing B cell differentiation in the bone marrow environment.